Latest Drones Headlines

All the headlines from our Drones Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Insurers AIG, USAA Receive OK to Test Use of Drones

Apr 8 2015 // Two more insurers have received approval to test the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, for their business. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved requests from USAA and American...

Zurich Canada Launches Drone Insurance Product for Corporate Clients

Apr 2 2015 // Zurich Canada announced that it has “launched a new insurance product that will help its customers across a range of industries take advantage of the risk mitigation and cost saving opportunities available through...

Privacy Restrictions on Nevada Drones Would be Imposed by Bill

Mar 26 2015 // A Nevada Assembly member is attempting to create a regulatory framework for drones that would protect people’s privacy in the state. Democratic Assemblyman Elliot Anderson is sponsoring a bill that would limit how...

Insurers Say Drone Rules Needed for Risk Evaluation

Mar 24 2015 // Insurers applauded a Senate subcommittee for holding a hearing on the use of unmanned aircraft systems and urged swift action from federal regulators charged with integrating the technology into the National Airspace...

FAA Eases Rules for Commercial Drones

Mar 24 2015 // Commercial drone operators will have an easier time using and testing their devices in the U.S. after the Federal Aviation Administration said it has loosened some requirements for obtaining government permission to...

U.S. to Streamline Approval for Commercial Drone Use

Mar 22 2015 // The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration plans to unveil new steps soon to make it easier for companies to use drone aircraft for specific business operations, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Commercial...

Insurance Market Evolves for Drone Pilots Unwilling to Wait on Federal Regulations

Mar 6 2015 // Thousands of drones flown without government approval by real estate companies, movie studios and other businesses are getting coverage by insurers writing their own safety rules to fill a void left by regulators. One...

U.S. Issues Draft Rules on Commercial Use of Drones; Insurers Welcome

Feb 16 2015 // The U.S. aviation regulator proposed rules on Sunday for commercial drone flights that would lift some restrictions but would still bar activities such as the delivery of packages and inspection of pipelines that have been...

Oklahoma Lawmakers Want to Regulate Drones in State

Feb 6 2015 // Concerned about the growing presence of drones in the skies above Oklahoma, a couple of state lawmakers have filed legislation to rein in their use. But state officials trying to attract unmanned aerial vehicle designers...

White House Drone Landing Complicates Regulation Debate

Jan 26 2015 // The discovery of a radio-controlled copter on the White House lawn injects a new complication into the debate over the growing popularity of drones used by civilians. The unintentional security breach Monday at the U.S....

Drone Pilot Who Challenged FAA Authority Settles

Jan 23 2015 // The drone pilot who challenged the U.S. government’s authority over unmanned aircraft agreed to pay a reduced fine of $1,100 to settle his case. Raphael Pirker, a Swiss citizen who flew a small unmanned plane without...

U.S. Drone Regulations Delayed

Jan 1 2015 // The United States missed a year-end deadline for publishing new rules on remote-control aircraft, delaying an eagerly awaited step toward using drones in everything from farming to package delivery. Businesses have been...

Iowa DPS Report: Wait On Drone Regulation

Dec 24 2014 // Iowa should take a wait-and-see approach to regulating unmanned aerial vehicles because of their huge potential for positive uses in business and government, the Iowa Department of Public Safety advises in a new...

ISO Drone Insurance Endorsements Should Be Available by June 2015

Dec 15 2014 // ISO said it is preparing coverage endorsements for insurers to use for customers using commercial drones. The coverage options should be available by June, 2015. ISO says the new endorsements address the growing liability...

Drone Risks Require More Safety Regulation, IATA Chief Says

Dec 15 2014 // The surging popularity of inexpensive radio-controlled airplanes and helicopters raises risks that require a firm response from regulators to ensure safety, the head of a leading commercial aviation trade group told...

Erie Insurance Seeks Approval for Drone Use

Dec 15 2014 // Erie Insurance Group recently filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Transportation seeking permission for commercial operations of small unmanned drone aircraft. Erie Insurance joins a growing number of insurers...

Delay in Drone Rules Jeopardizes Research, Competitiveness, Congress Told

Dec 12 2014 // Commercial drone flights are taking off in other countries while the U.S. lags behind in developing safety regulations that would permit unmanned aircraft operations by a wide array of industries, witnesses told a House...

Cyber Attacks, Drones Pose Threat to Plane Safety: Allianz

Dec 9 2014 // Cyber attacks and commercial drones pose a growing risk of commercial airplane crashes, a major insurer said, running counter to a long-term decline in fatal accidents and insurance premiums. Technical advances in aircraft...

Erie Insurance Seeks Approval for Drone Use

Dec 3 2014 // Erie Insurance Group recently filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Transportation seeking permission for commercial operations of small unmanned drone aircraft. The Erie, Pennsylvania-based insurer said in its Nov....

Ohio and Indiana Joint Venture to Fly Drones to Aid Farmers

Dec 2 2014 // A joint venture between Ohio and Indiana is teaming up with an Ohio college to fly drone missions aimed at helping farmers boost crop yields. The Ohio/Indiana Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center in Springfield, Ohio, and Ohio...